UAE ranks third for total solar power capacity

Masdar City’s Shams 1 has helped to lift the UAE to third among the world’s nations in Concentrated Solar Power investment and capacity, a report says.

The UAE now ranks behind only Spain and the US in CSP generation.

The rankings were recently unveiled in a report by Ren21, a policy network that promotes rapid global transition to renewable energy.

“We’re pleased to see how high the UAE ranks worldwide in renewable energy generation, given the country’s commitment to sourcing more sources of secure and safe energy,” Yousif Al Ali, general manager of Shams 1 Power, told the state news agency Wam.

“Since its launch, Shams 1 has been generating enough power to electrify 20,000 homes in the UAE and displaces 175,000 tonnes of carbon annually.”

The Ren21 report shows how the UAE’s investment in CSP technology has strengthening its position as a responsible global energy leader.

It said the 100-megawatt Shams 1 plant in the Western Region is a reason growth of CPS in emerging markets almost tripled last year.

Although Spain and the US are still by far the market leaders in CSP, investment in the technology is growing most rapidly in regions that receive high amounts of daily sunshine.

Global CSP capacity has increased tenfold since 2004, and last year surged 36 per cent to a total of 3.4 gigawatts generated.

The US$600 million (Dh2.2 billion) Shams 1 plant, the Middle East’s largest renewable energy project, opened in March last year as a partnership between Masdar, Total and Abengoa.